We have recently learned, from a source close to Mercedes Benz and its Research Center in Stuttgart, that the Daimler AG is working on a vehicle “which will revolutionize the luxury auto market,” as they put it. The “revolutionary” vehicle will be an all electric mid-size to large luxury vehicle, and will feature a lithium-ion battery that can be recharged two ways. The first option will be with a direct plug-in, and the other option will be a small dynamo like device that will charge the battery while the car is driving. In current tests, the battery was able to get 170 km (approx 105 miles) before it had to be charged again, which means that the dynamo itself can only partially recharge the battery.

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It’s still not fully know which vehicle might get this technology, but if we look at some of the most recent developments, we can probably find the one that will most like be released with a electric motor. In a post we wrote in late February, we reported that Mercedes has acquired 25 patents for a lithium-ion technology to be used in the S 400 BlueHYBRID beginning next year. We also reported a couple of time on the GLK and its Hybrid intentions. If we were to throw out a educated guess here, we would probably say that the S-Class and the GLK, maybe even ML, will be the first “luxury’ all electric powered vehicles in the market.

Here is the most important questions for consumers. When will it come out? According to our source, a fully electric powered vehicle from Mercedes will come in the form of a new model/generation vehicle. If our prediction is right, and it is the S-Class, then we can expect the EV sometime in 2011 or possibly even as early as 2010, as that is when a new model is scheduled.

Comments (38)

The dynamo system must charge the battery when the car is being powered other than by the batteries (e.g. small petrol engine), otherwise that would be perpetual motion which scientists haven’t cracked yet as far as I know!

I’ve seen the term ‘dynamo’ used recently in reference to electric vehicles. Is some way of describing the electric drive-train as seperate from the gas generator used to charge the batteries, without re-enforcing the contextual frame of a gas sucking combustion engine. Are the PR people afraid to say that you might actually put gas in this car? Why? If , like most drivers, you drive this car less than 60 miles (~95 km) every day then you would never put gas in this car, unless you were on a longer trip. The term ‘Dynamo’ adds a degree of mystery to this new car without paying lip service to any other manufactorer’s branded terms.

When designing the transmission Benz should note that part of the appeal of the Prius is its highly reliable power-split device. I will never again buy a car with a clutch-based transmission like the two-clutch monsters GM has proposed for its hybrids.

The “dynamo” being refered to is an on board generator sometimes refered to as a “range extender” for an electric vehicle. It technically makes the vehicle a series hybrid (vs. parallel like the Prius and the others currently on the market) because as Denny mentions the generator (range extender) is mechnically connected to the drive system, only electrically connected.

There is nothing mysterious about a ‘Dynamo’; it’s the German term for a combined starter/generator that was used half a century ago by DKW/Audi. Today’s Dynamo would likely be electronically switched for quick-starting and regenerative braking, a starter/alternator of sorts.

Unfortunately none of this will ever hit the road. They’ve been “developing” this “revolutionary” technology for the past 20 years now and where are we today? Still using gas. Why? They say because it wasn’t cost effective back then. Oh that makes sense, it’s cost effective now, so let’s put it into a Mercedes Benz! The only people who would be able to afford this vehicle are those who could afford to pay $20 a gallon for gas in the first place. So guess what? No one’s gonna buy it and the whole electric car idea gets dismantled…AGAIN. Why? Oh because no one’s buying it because again, it’s not cost effective. How much is a Tesla Roadster? Yeah. Okay.

how about a 140 mile/charge EV1 in 1999 for about 30k . would have gone up to 200 miles/charge if chevrontexaco didn’t sue PEVE (panasonic/toyota) and allowed them to make their batteries. this is all SO backwards. more empty promises while cobasys sits on a proven patent (the EV-95 NiMH batteries) that’s still powering RAV4 EV’s today w/ 80 miles/charge.
“Mercedes electric A-Class(120 miles/charge, 77 mph) will not now go on sale until the end of 1999” (BBC Top Gear, 1998):

As for these types of cars being expensive, like the comact disc player more demand will eventually drop the price. Oil and Natural Gas will run out. The IPhone was $450? when introduced. Now the next generation is $199.

ENDLESS MILES WOULD YOU LIKE TO HAVE A UNIT THAT WILL CHARGE YOUR CAR BATTERIES ALL THE TIME WITH OUT STOPPING TO PLUG IN . NOT LETTING BATTERIES DROP BELOW 75% OF CHARGER THIS CAN HAPPEN IF YOU ARE INTERRESTED OR ARE YOU ALL B. S. ENDLESS P.S. NOT ONE OIL PRODUCT USED

I think a serial hybrid is probably the right direction which Mercedes is taking. A 100% electric car also would be nice only if it had the capability to go the distance…300 to 500 miles before recharging. Inventors such as EV Gray, Tom Bearden (MEG) have already invented over-unity devices which utilizes the energy around us. It is the same energy that propels our world around space and makes clouds float. The space around us is often called the Electrosphere. It can provide us infinite energy to power our vehicles.

Everyone should see this: http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=5871495968130273402
Who killed the Electric Car? The GM EV1 was a huge success but they killed it because big oil didn’t want it. There is every reason to believe that the Benz electric car will be extremely popular. GM deserves to DIE and can easily be replaced by smarter (less stubborn) and more courageous people. If I had any investment money I’d be buying stock in Benz about now….

please exsplaine if they have overcome the big problem that the EV car can take any hill with afull load off passagiers. This payor problem have plage many car makers that the batter’s run out when going up hill and the car run out off control back wards. down the sloops off the high way.s into other cars. Very dangerous, yours truly Frank eng Ret.

Honestly, I can hardly wait.I had a VW(my 1st car), A 250MB, a 450 sl MB, and a few other MBs in bettween and in 1963 bought a v12 SL ( my best car ever, even when considering the 250 Ferraris(one, the only speciaL ( S/N 4385 GTL/ GTO lusso ever made (Cavalino cover last year).I think is “hoeste Eienbhan” that mercedes comes to this USA market with the electric car. I’ll tell you why: most of us just go to work( I do it in a Porsche Cab and my spouse in a 600 MB, but during the wekends , e drive the 600MB) and its not that far and the moment alone is precious.During the weekends, we go ( 60 miles)to our Napa Ranch.Further then that, one generally flies, hoewer, if the car could be recharged ‘during’ an one hour lunch, oh well(DREAM) we could go until late efternoon and then, stop for the night and recharge. WHAT A DREAM! The body and luxury of the 600 SL or the 550SL.CEOs and Engineers, please make the effort and you will have unimagined sucsess, Cordially yours,Brunno Ristow,MD,

Why can’t you devide an electical cars batteries into 2 banks, one bank being drained (used), while the other is getting charged. Run a couple belts off the axle to 2 alternator/generators when up to a certain speed using voltage regulators. Use solar panels for a trickle charge, add plug in capability, and use hood scoop and or ferarri-like side scoops to have air intakes spin some small tough plastic blades to generate electricity. Use regenerative brakes too. When batteries get too low, change to the second bank of batteries and recharge the first when they cool down enough. I think this would virtually be a perpetually running car.

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I hope you get this idea in. I hope to help with this idea by give you this is a fan recharge for the electric car is under the bonnet so when the car start running out of power in the battery of the car the fan will kick in and stop when is got power the car has to be moving to work with the wind to go thougth the grill of the car also if it goes up hill the fan moves up abit to get the power more to. Also it has dynamos under the wheels to power the lights of the car so even when it stops they will still be on there like old bike lights I hope it does well the car you’ve got also you mite be able to get this car to.

The skin of the vehicles, should be nano inked paint, with charging abilities, batteries, in sunlight. When exiting the main highway, its collection of stored nano powering source, propelling on to secondary roadways. The tires should have close proximity for transference of energized magnets embedment’s, in roadbeds. Energized distribution connections emanating from solar collectors parallel the main highway. Our road ways constructed with solar embedded pads of magnets. As the vehicle wheels rotate over energized polar magnets, automatically releasing its charge into the wheels, as an electric motor. The road it self is the energized magnet and the vehicle wheel hub its armature. The fields along the roadways, generate solar power, electrical distribution, into the imbedded roadway, including electrical delivery to residence and farms along its way.

I hope you get this idea in. I hope to help with this idea by give you this is a fan recharge for the electric car is under the bonnet so when the car start running out of power in the battery of the car the fan will kick in and stop when is got power the car has to be moving to work with the wind to go thougth the grill of the car also if it goes up hill the fan moves up abit to get the power more to. Also it has dynamos under the wheels to power the lights of the car so even when it stops they will still be on there like old bike lights I hope it does well the car you’ve got also you mite be able to get this car to.

It’s about time Mercedes makes an electric car. They are the industry world leader and they should aim to keep the first spot in the electric car niche also. I don’t doubt that the new Mercedes will be one of the most efficient electric cars in the world. The race has already begun and if they would have waited any longer, they’d be out of the cards.